GRANDMA’S CAPIROTADA RECIPE – Simple and Classic

My Grandma’s Capirotada recipe is simple with not a lot of ingredients. The flavor takes me to another place in time when life was good and my mom was in the kitchen making this dish for us on a Sunday evening during Lent.  Above all, the Mexican bread pudding has warm notes from a beautifully rich syrup of cinnamon, clove, and piloncillo (think brown sugar).  

Why do I call this my “Grandma’s Recipe?”

To clarify, there’s a bit of a story behind this recipe. My mom made it this way for my dad as it was his mother’s recipe. She did that quite often because according to her when they first got married my dad would ask her to make certain dishes as his mom made it. Typical mama’s boy.

Apparently, my mom’s mother (Grandma Dolly) didn’t make Capirotada until much later in life when she remarried. I just love how family stories can sometimes circle around food.

YOU CAN MAKE THE MEXICAN DESSERT MANY WAYS

It wasn’t until I was much older that I learned Capirotada can be made a variety of ways depending on the region of Mexico someone is from. 

Over the years, I have enjoyed Capirotada made with milk, evaporated milk, even condensed milk. I’ve had it with bananas, prunes, mangos, and coconut. It’s a beautiful bread pudding that can be tailored to your liking. We even have a Tropical Capirotada recipe on our blog you’ll need to check out if you like mangos and coconuts. 

But, at the end of the day, it is my Grandma Laura’s Capirotada recipe that I long for every Lenten season. And, it gives me great pleasure to be able to make it for my dad since my mom and his mom are now in heaven. 

Yield: 8-10 servings

Grandma's Capirotada Recipe

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Capirotada is a traditional dessert bread pudding made during Lent.

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups of water
• 3 Piloncillo cones
• 3 Mexican cinnamon sticks
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts
• 12 thick slices of bolillo or French bread (see note below)
• 2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees
2. In a medium-sized stockpot, add the water, piloncillo, cinnamon sticks, and cloves over medium-high heat. Allow the piloncillo to completely dissolve and the syrup thickens (about 10 to 15 minutes).
3. Slice the bolillos about 1/3 inch thick and assemble on a baking sheet. Place in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes to toast.
4. In a deep 9x9 inch baking dish, use some cooking spray on the bottom of the baking dish.
5. In layers, add the toasted bread, sprinkle raisins, peanuts and cheese. Continue with the next layer until you have a full baking dish adding extra cheese and raisins on top.
6. Spoon the syrup over the assembled dish until all the bread is moist.
7. Bake for 40 minutes until golden brown.
8. Enjoy warm.

Notes

During Lent, many supermarkets now offer precut and toasted French bread made especially for Capirotada. This saves so much time.